Monday, December 10, 2018

On our way back from our Labor Day weekend getaway in Niagara Falls, we decided to explore Buffalo New York a little bit. It was on a Sunday so we thought that attending a mass there would be meaningful and memorable. Although we saw a lot of churches on our way, something was pulling us to go to St. Joseph Cathedral. Our church here in WV is St. Joseph as well so it was symbolic for us.

The cathedral was very beautiful inside. We feel bad that we were not dressed for it but we were happy that parishioners there did not seem to care of our appearance. They live to their welcome message of "You enter this church.. not as strangers.. but a guest of God" which is really nice.

It was raining when we left Toronto and downpour continues as we reached New York. It did not hinder us from doing what we planned to do which is explore a little bit of Buffalo New York before going back to mountain state.

I love going inside old churches, it might appear old on the exterior appearance but the inside is always stunning.

The St. Joseph Cathedral is located in 50 Franklin St. Buffalo, NY 14202, so if you ever wonder how massive and beautiful it is inside, you should check it out. Even if you are not a worshipper, you can still go and see, they welcome everybody. This church was established by Buffalo's first bishop, John Timon, in 1847 and dedicated in 1855. A 171 old church is amazing, I am so glad I got to see it. I have to admit, I have never been to the cathedral (St. Joseph) here in my state which is in Wheeling but so happy to see the one in New York.

This church serves as the spiritual center for the Catholic community of the Diocese of Buffalo in Western New York. It said that because of its downtown location, it plays an important role in the current revival of the city.

We met Father Charles E. Slisz after the mass as we were about to go out, he talked to us. I guess, he knew we were not from New York. We told him that we were from "Almost heaven, WV" and it made him smile. He even told us a little bit about his experience as a chaplain in the military. Him and my husband had a connection with the military topic so it was nice. He suggested us to visit the military park nearby.

The music balcony in this cathedral is amazing.

We walked around inside the church after the mass. My favorite part of old and big churches is always the stained glass windows.

It's fascinating to see the details of the church interior design. Every little detail is beautiful.

I found this video on youtube for their documentary, it's pretty neat.